Listen Up! Sturgill Simpson New Song ‘The Dead Don’t Die’

It’s been a long stretch waiting for new music from Sturgill Simpson. Well, folks, the wait is over.

For those concerned that Simpson might jettison his Country Gold classic country sound, take comfort in
“The Dead Don’t Die” a standalone single off the soundtrack from indy filmmaker Jim Jarmusch’s upcoming zombie flick of the same name.

The sound is a melancholy sweetness that warms the heart and brings a tear to all lovers of barroom serenades.
Sure the subject matter is weird, but with Simpson’s smooth croon delivering the weirdness, I’m in!

“The Dead Don’t Die” opens this weekend.

Look Out! HBO Full-Length ‘Deadwood’ Trailer featuring Colter Wall

Deadwood: The Movie

Deadwood fans are still cautiously giddy at the news of a full-length version of our favorite profanity-splattered Shakspereon western. Deadwood unceremoniously canceled on June 5, 2006 Fans were left with a fragmented and ponderous third season after creator and primary writer David Milch decided he wanted to work on the HBO surfer sap opera ‘John from Cincinnati.” (which was immediately canceled)

In the aftermath, Milch agreed to make a pair of two-hour television films, but HBO executives and the otherwise newly contracted actors at various times over the years put the odds of that happening as slim to none.

But good things come to hooplheads that wait and HBO announced a few weeks back that ‘Deadwood: The Movie’ was happening. This was backed up by W. Earle Brown, who plays Al Swearengen’s hang-dog muscle Dan Dority verified on Twitter that the movie was in post-production.

Then came an official announcement from HBO with a trailer. Canned peaches all around!

Today we get a full-length trailer (see below) trailer highlighting more of the excellent cast (Calamity Jane!) The trailer also treats us with the perfectly placed Colter Wall song ‘Sleeping on the Blacktop.” This is a nice treat though no surprise as Deadwood has always featured great roots music.

Wall’s song being included appears to have been taken him by surprise as he heard the news while working on his ranch. He responded on social media.

Though the news of a movie finally being released is cause for celebration it comes with the bittersweet revelation that David Milch is suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Deadwood: The Movie will premiere on HBO, May 31, 2019.

UPDATE>> Apparently Jason Isbell will have a cameo in the movie!

Colter Wall’s ‘Sleeping on the Blacktop” on his album “Imaginary Appalachia.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0WrXmhvXTA

Buddy and Julie Miller Announce Summer Release For New Album ‘Breakdown on 20th Ave. South’

Buddy and Julie Miller - ‘Breakdown on 20th Ave. South’

It’s said that good things come to those that wait. For patient fans of one of Americana music’s most influential artist-songwriter couples (married since 1981) that wait for something good is almost over.

The long-anticipated follow up to 2009’s Americana Music Association Album of the Year ‘Written in Chalk’ is entitled ‘Breakdown on 20th Ave. South,’ and it will be available June 21st on New West records.

New West has whetted our appetite by releasing 2 cuts from the album. “Spittin’ on Fire” and “War Child,” both tracks reflect the lo-fi aesthetics the couple has established throughout their careers. Echos of the folk and Southern Rock reared in the Mississippi Delta and the Appalachian Mountains is apparent throughout the songs.

The album’s title comes from the couple’s much-delayed home studio in Nashville. The delays stemmed from Julie’s ongoing health issues as well as demand on Buddy as a go-to sideman, producer and co-host of the Buddy & Jim Radio Show on SiriusXM with his friend Jim Lauderdale.

Once the new record was underway, Julie penned some 50-plus new songs for the pair to choose from. Recorded in the couple’s bedroom make-do studio located upstairs from Buddy’s home studio, the results are raw, immediate and honest. Buddy and Julie are scheduled to make a rare live appearance to celebrate the album’s release Nashville’s City Winery on June 26th. The performance will be recorded for later broadcast on the Buddy & Jim Radio Show.

“Breakdown on 20th Ave. South” will be available June 21st via digital retailers, on CD and vinyl, with a special “Root Beer Swirl” colored vinyl available only at independent retailers. The album is now available for pre-order.

Breakdown on 20th Ave. South track listing:

“Breakdown on 20th Ave. South
“Feast of the Dead”
“Everything Is Your Fault”
“Unused Heart”
“I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”
“Till the Stardust Comes Apart”
“Underneath the Sky”
“Spittin’ on Fire”
“Secret”
“War Child”
“Thoughts at 2am”
“Storm of Kisses”
In This Article: Buddy Miller

Preorder ‘Breakdown on 20th Ave. South.’

Watch Out! The Blood Moon Howlers – “Drunk N’ Cold” [VIDEO PREMIERE]

The Blood Moon Howlers - Drunk N' Cold

If you like your music greasy then, folks, do we have a treat for you!

L.A.’s The Blood Moon Howlers’ newest single “Drunk N’ Cold,” slithers to life with grinding electric guitar and smokey saxophone (how many roots music dare to feature saxophone?!) Guitarist/vocalist Matt Wayne then growls, with harmony provided by bassist JuJu, this ode to swamp water and booze-drenched love would slot perfectly as a track from a particularly menacing David Lynch scene.

Of the song the band says “It’s the first song we wrote for the LP and it really set the whole writing process for the LP into motion. This is a song written about stories Matt has of hangin’ out with his friends partying outside in the cold when they were younger and there was no other place to go. Although people have interpreted it other ways which is fun to hear.”

“Drunk N’ Cold” is from the upcoming full-length album, “Mad Man’s Ruse, out April 6th.

Official Site: thebloodmoonhowlers.com/

Watch Out! Hayes Carll – Times Like These

Hayes Carll - Times Like These

It seems these days people are going out of their way to find reasons to divide themselves. Like somehow looking for the common humanity in your neighbor that binds us together is out of style, and choosing identity can only happen in opposition against…well, anything! is the new rule.

Chips on the shoulder are all the rage (oftentimes with actual rage.)

Hayes Carll has the tonic for what ails our wounded soul! His new album ‘What It Is’ is pure Carll – that is heart, wit, a wry smile and brimming with hospitality.

The video starts with Carll laying on a longneck littered dance floor as he’s helped to his feet by a random two-stepper. As an excellent study on contrast Carll wonders the bar singing about division and strife as the camera cuts to joyful couples dancing to the fiddle-fueled boogie blissfully oblivious to the message.

Carll is both onstage and in the crowd trading lyrical duties with various bar patrons as they embody the simple beauty of a Saturday night distraction away from work, bills, life.

In this Age of Outrage, we need a reminder that things, and people, are generally good as long as we take the time away from our grievance fetish to celebrate that fact. ‘Times Like These’ brings perspective and brings us together.

And reminds us to dance.

Buy ‘What It Is’ here.

Let’s all sing along…

In times like these everyone could use a hand
Instead, we stand around losing ground
Fighting for the promised land
It’s so hard to tell if this is heaven or hell
And I could never measure by degrees
But it’s sure gettin’ warm ’round here in times like these
In times like these do I really need a billionaire
Just takin’ all my time tryin’ to tell me I was treated unfair?
Well then I got to pay, it’s the home of the brave
Gets divided into them and the weak
Oh I find I’m a-losing my mind in times like these

Yeah they come and they go
They’re in and then out
Every day I’m getting better at losing something I haven’t got
I just wanna do my labor, love my girl, and help my neighbor
While I keep a little hope for my dreams
But it’s sure getting hard, brother, in times like these

In times like these I wish someone was on my side
Instead of bringing it together we’re just widening the great divide
I hope and I pray at the end of the day
I can somehow get my troubles to ease
But I gotta say, it’s not looking good, not in times like these

Yeah they come and they go
They’re cold then they’re hot
I just try to keep the world from turning me to something I’m not
I’m gonna try to run until the whole thing’s done
And I just hope I don’t end up on my knees
But it’s sure getting hard to stand up in times like these

I just wanna do my labor, love my girl, and help my neighbor
While I’m keeping all my joie de vivre
But it’s sure getting hard, brother, in times like these
I could use just a little bit of help in times like these

Hear Gillian Welch & David Rawlings Perform “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings”

 Gillian Welch & David  Rawlings -  “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings”

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings wrote “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” for the recent six-part Coen brothers anthology, The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs. If you watched the show you know the original song was sung by Tim Blake Nelson as Buster Scruggs alongside Willie Watson as “The Kid.” Today, Welch and Rawlings share a new version that they will perform at the 91st Academy Awards on 2/24.

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings recently garnered a nomination for “Best Original Song” at the 2019 Academy Awards, for “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings.” their version of the song on Acony Records, which they sing in their own lonesome and timeless
style, invoking both the absurd fatalism of the show and their own penchant for a good yodel.

Welch and Rawlings said about their nomination: “We are eternally grateful to Ethan and Joel Coen for giving us the opportunity to write a cowboy duet between the living and the dead, and to Willie Watson and Tim Blake Nelson for bringing it to life.”

The pair confirmed they will perform the song on The Grand Ole Opry on February 16th as well as at the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday, February 24, 2019.

Welch revealed the story behind the song and working with the Coen Brothers in a recent Rolling Stone interview:

“They [The Coen Brothers] gave David and I the script, and they gave us the script of maybe two other of the shorts in the collection so we could gauge the darkness [laughs]… And then there was just a really basic conversation [with Joel Coen]. He was like, “Look, there’s the singing cowboy — he’s been around for a while. Now here comes the new guy. He’s cuter, he’s faster and he sings better. He’s just better. It’s the new model. He’s coming for him.”… Joel just said, “Here’s the specifics of it. They have to be able to sing it together. They have to be able to sing it once Tim has been shot and is dead and is floating up to heaven.”

Gillian also spoke to Variety about her and Rawlings’ process writing the song:
“It was a pretty straightforward thing: ‘Well, we need a song for when two singing cowboys gun it out, and then they have to do a duet with one of ‘em dead. You think you can do that?’ ‘Yeah, I think we can do that’”… “The more peculiar restraints you put upon a song, the more fun it is, so this was kind of a dream assignment,” Welch says. “And they didn’t tell us to do this, but if you’re writing a gunfight song between two singing cowboys, who wouldn’t love the opportunity to put some yodeling in?”

Buy the single “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” here.

Jason Isbell Announces Summer Tour with Father John Misty

Summers are always made better when there’s great live music to attend.

Jason Isbell hitting the road with Father John Misty is just one of those highly anticipated summer evets.

See dates and buying info below.

Get tickets at jasonisbell.com

**PRE-SALE BEGINS TOMORROW (2/13) AT 10AM LOCAL.**
PASSWORD: FJMISBELL
GENERAL ON-SALE STARTS FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15 10AM LOCAL^

June 6 – San Diego – Cal Coast Open Air Theatre $ +
June 7 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl $ +
June 8 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek Theatre At UC Berkeley $ +
June 9 – Bend, OR – Les Schwab Amphitheater $ +
June 11 – Redmond, WA – Marymoor Park $ +
June 14 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory $ +
June 15 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion $ +
June 16 – Milwaukee, WI – BMO Harris Pavilion $ +
June 17 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre $ +
June 19 – Brooklyn, NY – BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival $ +
June 20 – Canandaigua, NY – CMAC $ +
June 21– Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion $ +
June 22 – Philadelphia, PA – Metropolitan Opera House $ +
June 24 – Richmond, VA – Altria Theater $ +
June 25 – Cary, NC – Koka Booth Amphitheater $ *
June 27 – Irving, TX – Pavilion At Toyota Music Factory $ +
June 28 – Houston, TX – White Oak Lawn $ +
June 29 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center $ +

$ – Father John Misty
* – Jade Bird
+ – Erin Rae
^Unless otherwise specified.

Wanted! – Notable Americana and Roots Music Releases for 2019

2018 is now in the pages of history and as America shifts (lurches?) into an uncertain future. Americana and roots music, unlike many other genres, continues to be true to its legacy and addresses our times with art that refuses to chase the charts and churn out reflexively commercial product and, lucky for us, refuses to treat the audience as mindless consumers.

That’s not to say that Americana and roots music is merely a barometer for political and social conditions and change. No sane person wants their favorite artists to be righteous yet starve. As the music industry continues to reflect changing consumer demands artists are also finding opportunities to reach audiences and generate revenue in movies and video games.

Some albums I’m  personally looking forward to because I’ve heard some cuts, or on my faith in the artist,  are Hayes Carll’s  â€œWhat It Is,” Feb. 15: Dale Watson’s Call Me Lucky and Ryan Bingham – “American Love Song” , all on February 15th,  Mandolin Orange’s “Tides of a Teardrop” on February 1st, and Joshua Ray Walker’s “Wish You Were Here” on January 25th as well as Son Volt’s “Union’ on March 29th.

As more dates come throughout the year I will be updating the list. If you know of an actual release not listed yet please leave it in the comments.

As always I appreciate your visiting the site and hope you join me in another great year for Americana and roots music.

January: Jan. 18th: Danny Burns – “North Country”
Jan. 25th: Lula Wiles – ‘What Will We Do’
Jan. 4th: Balsam Range – “Aeonic”
Jan. 18th: Alice Wallace – “ Into the Blue”
Jan. 18th: Ronnie Milsap – “Ronnie Milsap: The Duets”
Jan. 18th: Greensky Bluegrass – “All for Money”
Jan. 18th: The Steel Woods – “Old News”
Jan. 18th: Whitehorse – “The Northern South Vol. 2”
Feb. 22: Vandoliers – “Forever” 

February:
Feb. 1st: Mandolin Orange – “Tides of a Teardrop”
Feb. 1st: Abigail Lapelle – “Getaway”
Feb. 8th: Gurf Morlix – ‘Impossible Blue’
Feb. 15th: Hayes Carll – “What It Is”
Feb. 15th: Dale Watson – “Call Me Lucky”
Feb. 15th: Ryan Bingham – “American Love Song”
Feb. 15th: Joey McGee – “El Camino Real”
Feb. 15th: Kalyn Fay – “Good Company”
Feb. 22nd: Dearling – “Silver and Gold” (EP)
Feb. 22nd Vandoliers – “Forever”
Feb. 22nd – Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell – ‘Songs of Our Native Daughters’ March:
March 1st: Mary Bragg – “Diamonds as Camouflage”
March 1st: The Cactus Blossoms – “Easy Way”
March 1st: Dave Ernst – “Hickory Switch”
March 2nd: The Honey Dewdrops – “Anyone Can See”
March 7th: Townes Van Zandt – “Sky Blue”
March 8th: Patty Griffin – “Patty Griffin” March 8th: Clara Baker – “Things To Burn”
March 22nd: Allison de Groot & Tatiana March 22nd: Orville Peck – “Pony” March 22nd: Luther Dickinson and Sisters of the Strawberry Moon – “Solstice” March 29th: Son Volt – “Union”

April: April 2nd: John Paul White – ‘The Hurting Kind” April 5th: Molly Tuttle – “When You’re Ready.” April 5th: Megg Farrell -“Megg Farrell” April 12th: Shovels & Rope – “By Blood” April 12th: Taylor Alexander – “Good Old Fashioned Pain” April 19th: Daniel Norgren – “Wooh Dang” May:
May 3rd: Pete Seeger – ‘The Smithsonian Folkways Collection’ May 3rd: Caroline Spence – “Mint Condition” May 10th: The Shootouts – “Quick Draw” May 24th: Willard Gayheart – “At Home in the Blue Ridge”

June:
June 14th: Hank Williams – ‘Health & Happiness Show’ June 21st: Buddy and Julie Miller -‘Breakdown on 20th Ave. South’ June 28th: Chuck Mead – “Close To Home” August 16th The Messenger: A Tribute to Ray Wylie Hubbard August 23rd Esther Rose – ‘You Made It This Far’ Erin Enderlin – ‘Chapter Three: Whatever Gets You Through The Night’ Tanya Tucker – ‘While I’m Livin’ ‘ Vince Gill – ‘Okie’ Dalton Domino – ‘Songs From the Exile’ Jason Hawk Harris – Love & the Dark The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys – ‘Toil, Tears & Trouble’ Leslie Stevens – ‘Sinner’ Croy and the Boys – ‘Howdy High-Rise’ Seth James – Midland – ‘Let It Roll’ September 7th The Highwomen – Self-Titled’ Terri Hendrix – ‘Talk To A Human’ Jason Tyler Burton – ‘Kentuckian’ Paul Cauthen – ‘Room 41’ Cut Throat Francis – ‘This Garden’s Never Gonna Grow’ Ana Egge – ‘Is It the Kiss’ NRBQ – ‘Turn On, Tune In’ Amy Speace – ‘Me and the Ghosts of Charlemagne’ These Wild Plains – ‘Thrilled To Be Here’ Trailerpark Idlers – ‘Ghost Town Nights September 13th Jeremy Ivey – ‘The Dream And The Dreamer’ September 27th Hot Club of Cowtown – ‘Wild Kingdom’ October 4th The North Mississippi Allstars – “Up and Rolling” October 13th Cody Jinks – ‘After The Fire’ North Mississippi Allstars – ‘Up and Rolling’ Corb Lund – ‘Cover Your Tracks’ Jonah Tolchin – ‘Fires for the Cold’ Marti Brom – ‘Midnight Bus’ Ted Drozdowski – ‘Learn To Love The Moon’ Jeremy Ivey – ‘The Dream And The Dreamer; Janiva Magness – ‘Change In The Weather: Janiva Magness Sings John Fogerty’ October 18th The Milk Carton Kids – ‘The Only Ones’ Darin Aldridge & Brooke Aldridge – ‘Inner Journey’ Driftwood Soldier – ‘Stay Ahead Of The Wolf’ The Drunken Hearts – ‘Wheels of the City’ Rory Ellis – ‘Inner Outlaw’ EmiSunshine and The Rain – ‘Family Wars’ Jimmy “Duck” Holmes – ‘Cypress Grove’ Jake La Botz – ‘They’re Coming For Me’ New Copasetics – ‘Twang-Ucopia’ David Newbould – ‘Sin & Redemption’ Karen & the Sorrows – ‘Guaranteed Broken Heart’ Zachary Lucky – ‘Midwestern’ October 25th Allison Moorer – ‘Blood’ Neil Young & Crazy Horse – ‘Colorado’ Craig Cummings – ‘Absolute Surprise’ Karen & the Sorrows – ‘Guaranteed Broken Heart’ Van Morrison – ‘Three Chords and the Truth’ Jackson Stokes – ‘Jackson Stokes’ Zack Walther Band – ‘The Westerner’ November 20th Bill Scorzari – ‘Now I’m Free’ January 31st Dustbowl Revival – ‘Is It You, Is It Me?’

2019 Grammy Awards Nominees : Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Lee Ann Womack


Ah the holidays. Family, friends, bourbon-barrel stouts, gluttony and Black Friday door-buster riots.
Making memories…

It’s also the time of year when nominations for the Grammy Awards were announced. In case you weren’t aware of this fact you’re not alone. I did a completely unscientific study of Grammy awareness and of the 23 people I asked zero had any idea that the nominees had been announced.

Not a surprise. Though “music’s biggest night” viewership has held steady for the last four years, the 2016 telecast technically ranked as a seven-year low for the annual event.

Though the Grammys tend to be less directly political as other award shows, in the current toxic political environment more people (aka customers) are skipping the mono-political red-carpet posturing from celebrities that is de rigueur. So people that want to unplug and listen and watch live performances of tunes.

Amazing the people looking for some creative distraction balk at the idea of being lectured to.

Political posturing aside, The Grammys for years have had a hard time getting a foothold on what they’re brand means to fans and people outside the industry. No one outside the industry and insane obsessive fans (like us!) cares about who wins. You have to be delusional to believe that casual fans under 30 tune into the Grammys to discover new artists and the 30+ crowd falls outside the sweet demographic to keep up ad revenues to keep up the rental payments on the Staples Center.

For the new and established artists the live performances, especially the ones live-streamed from the pre-telecast ceremony, can be extraordinary. Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite, Hugh Masekela, John Fullbright, Elle Varner and Trombone Shorty stand out as memorable favorites from my time covering the event.

Now the numbers: Brandi Carlile tops the Americana list with six nominations including Album Of The Year (By The Way, I Forgive You), Record Of The Year (“The Joke”), Song Of The Year (“The Joke”), Best Americana Album, Best American Roots Song and Best American Roots Performance.

Chris Stapleton is nominated for three GRAMMY Awards: Best Country Album (From A Room: Volume 2) and Best Country Solo Performance (“Millionaire”) as well as Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for his performance on Justin Timberlake’s “Say Something.”

Lee Ann Womack earned two nominations. Her latest album ‘The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone’ (ATO Records) has been nominated for Best Americana Album, and the album’s lead single “All the Trouble” has been nominated for Best Americana Roots Song. The nominations are the eleventh and twelfth of Womack’s storied career, and her first as a songwriter.

The Travelin’ McCourys nabbed a nomination for “Best Bluegrass Album” for their eponymous debut/

Below is my list of categories reflecting the roots and Americana field.
Tune into the 61st Grammy Awards on Feb. 10 on CBS, broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Record Of The Year
(Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s) and mastering engineer(s), if other than the artist.)

• “I Like It” – Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin
Invincible, JWhiteDidIt, Craig Kallman & Tainy, producers; Leslie Brathwaite & Evan LaRay, engineers/mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

• “The Joke” – Brandi Carlile
Dave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers; Tom Elmhirst & Eddie Spear, engineers/mixers; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer

• “This Is America” – Childish Gambino
Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, producers; Derek “MixedByAli” Ali & Riley Mackin, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer Boi-1Da, Cardo & Young Exclusive, producers; Noel Cadastre, Noel “Gadget” Campbell & Noah Shebib, engineers/mixers; Chris Athens, mastering engineer

• “Shallow” – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Lady Gaga & Benjamin Rice, producers; Tom Elmhirst, engineer/mixer; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

• “All The Stars” – Kendrick Lamar & SZA
Al Shux & Sounwave, producers; Sam Ricci & Matt Schaeffer, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

• “Rockstar” – Post Malone Featuring 21 Savage
Louis Bell & Tank God, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

• “The Middle” – Zedd, Maren Morris & GreyGrey, Monsters & Strangerz & Zedd, producers; Grey, Tom Morris, Ryan Shanahan & Zedd, engineers/mixers; Mike Marsh, mastering engineer

Album Of The Year
(Award to Artist(s) and to Featured Artist(s), Songwriter(s) of new material, Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s), Mixer(s) and Mastering Engineer(s) credited with at least 33% playing time of the album, if other than Artist.)

• Invasion Of Privacy – Cardi B
Leslie Brathwaite & Evan LaRay, engineers/mixers; Belcalis Almanzar & Jorden Thorpe, songwriters; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

• By The Way, I Forgive You – Brandi Carlile
Dave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers; Dave Cobb & Eddie Spear, engineers/mixers; Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer

• Scorpion – Drake
Noel Cadastre, Noel “Gadget” Campbell & Noah Shebib, engineers/mixers; Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters; Chris Athens, mastering engineer

• H.E.R. – H.E.R.
Darhyl “Hey DJ” Camper Jr, H.E.R. & Jeff Robinson, producers; Miki Tsutsumi, engineer/mixer; Darhyl Camper Jr & H.E.R., songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer

• Beerbongs & Bentleys – Post Malone
Louis Bell & Post Malone, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Louis Bell & Austin Post, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

• Dirty Computer – Janelle Monáe
Chuck Lightning & Janelle Monáe Robinson & Nate “Rocket” Wonder, producers; Mick Guzauski, Janelle Monáe Robinson & Nate “Rocket” Wonder, engineers/mixers; Nathaniel Irvin III, Charles Joseph II, Taylor Parks & Janelle Monáe Robinson, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer

• Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, producers; Craig Alvin & Shawn Everett, engineers/mixers; Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, songwriters; Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone, mastering engineers

• Black Panther: The Album, Music From And Inspired By (Various Artists)
Kendrick Lamar, featured artist; Kendrick Duckworth & Sounwave, producers; Matt Schaeffer, engineer/mixer; Kendrick Duckworth & Mark Spears, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

Song Of The Year

(A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

• “All The Stars”
Kendrick Duckworth, Solána Rowe, Al Shuckburgh, Mark Spears & Anthony Tiffith, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar & SZA)
Track from: Black Panther The Album Music From And Inspired By

• “Boo’d Up”
Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai & Dijon McFarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai)
Track from: Ready

• “God’s Plan”
Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake)

• “In My Blood”
Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes & Geoffrey Warburton, songwriters (Shawn Mendes)
Track from: Shawn Mendes

• “The Joke”
Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
Track from: By The Way, I Forgive You

• “The Middle”
Sarah Aarons, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Kyle Trewartha, Michael Trewartha & Anton Zaslavski, songwriters (Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey)

• “Shallow”
Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)

• “This Is America”
Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)

Best New Artist
(An artist will be considered for Best New Artist if their eligibility year release/s achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.)
• Chloe x Halle
• Luke Combs
• Greta Van Fleet
• H.E.R.
• Dua Lipa
• Margo Price
• Bebe Rexha
• Jorja Smith

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
(For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new traditional pop recordings.)
• Love Is Here To Stay – Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
• My Way – Willie Nelson
• Nat “King” Cole & Me – Gregory Porter
• Standards (Deluxe) – Seal
• The Music…The Mem’ries…The Magic! – Barbra Streisand

Best Country Solo Performance
(For new vocal or instrumental solo country recordings.)

• “Wouldn’t It Be Great?”
Loretta Lynn
Track from: Wouldn’t It Be Great
• “Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters”
Maren Morris
Track from: Restoration: Reimagining The Songs Of Elton John And Bernie Taupin
• “Butterflies”
Kacey Musgraves
Track from: Golden Hour
• “Millionaire”
Chris Stapleton
Track from: From A Room: Volume 2
• “Parallel Line”
Keith Urban
Track from: Graffiti U

Country
Category 27 – Best Country Duo/Group Performance
(For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative country recordings.)
• “Shoot Me Straight”
Brothers Osborne
Track from: Port Saint Joe
• “Tequila”
Dan + Shay
• “When Someone Stops Loving You”
Little Big Town
Track from: The Breaker
• “Dear Hate”
Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill
• “Meant To Be”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
Track from: All Your Fault: Pt. 2
Field 8 – Country
Category 28 – Best Country Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)
• “Break Up In The End”
Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill & Jon Nite, songwriters (Cole Swindell)
• “Dear Hate”
Tom Douglas, David Hodges & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill)
• “I Lived It”
Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley & Ben Hayslip, songwriters (Blake Shelton)
• “Space Cowboy”
Luke Laird, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
Track from: Golden Hour
• “Tequila”
Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds & Dan Smyers, songwriters (Dan + Shay)
• “When Someone Stops Loving You”
Hillary Lindsey, Chase McGill & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Little Big Town)
Track from: The Breaker
Field 8 – Country
Category 29 – Best Country Album
(For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new country recordings.)
• Unapologetically
Kelsea Ballerini
• Port Saint Joe
Brothers Osborne
• Girl Going Nowhere
Ashley McBryde
• Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
• From A Room: Volume 2
Chris Stapleton

American Roots Music
Category 45 – Best American Roots Performance
(For new vocal or instrumental American Roots recordings. This is for performances in the style of any of the subgenres encompassed in the American Roots Music field including Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk or regional roots. Award to the artist(s).)

• “Kick Rocks”
Sean Ardoin
Track from: Kreole Rock And Soul
• “Saint James Infirmary Blues”
Jon Batiste
Track from: Hollywood Africans
• “The Joke”
Brandi Carlile
Track from: By The Way, I Forgive You
• “All On My Mind”
Anderson East
Track from: Encore
• “Last Man Standing”
Willie Nelson
Track from: Last Man Standing

American Roots Music
Category 46 – Best American Roots Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Americana, bluegrass, traditional blues, contemporary blues, folk or regional roots songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)

• “All The Trouble”
Waylon Payne, Lee Ann Womack & Adam Wright, songwriters (Lee Ann Womack)
Track from: The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone
• “Build A Bridge”
Jeff Tweedy, songwriter (Mavis Staples)
• “The Joke”
Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
Track from: By The Way, I Forgive You
• “Knockin’ On Your Screen Door”
Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)
Track from: The Tree Of Forgiveness
• “Summer’s End”
Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)
Track from: The Tree Of Forgiveness

American Roots Music
Category 47 – Best Americana Album
(For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Americana recordings.)
• By The Way, I Forgive You – Brandi Carlile
• Things Have Changed – Bettye LaVette
• The Tree Of Forgiveness – John Prine
• The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone – Lee Ann Womack
• One Drop Of Truth – The Wood Brothers
Field 13 – American Roots Music

Best Bluegrass Album
(For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental bluegrass recordings.)
• Portraits In Fiddles
Mike Barnett
• Sister Sadie II
Sister Sadie
• Rivers And Roads
Special Consensus
• The Travelin’ McCourys
The Travelin’ McCourys
• North Of Despair
Wood & Wire

Best Folk Album
(For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental folk recordings.)
• Whistle Down The Wind – Joan Baez
• Black Cowboys – Dom Flemons
• Rifles & Rosary Beads – Mary Gauthier
• Weed Garden – Iron & Wine
• All Ashore – Punch Brothers

Historical
Category 68 – Best Historical Album
• Any Other Way
Rob Bowman, Douglas Mcgowan, Rob Sevier & Ken Shipley, compilation producers; Jeff Lipton, mastering engineer (Jackie Shane)
• At The Louisiana Hayride Tonight…
Martin Hawkins, compilation producer; Christian Zwarg, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
• Battleground Korea: Songs And Sounds Of America’s Forgotten War
Hugo Keesing, compilation producer; Christian Zwarg, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
• A Rhapsody In Blue – The Extraordinary Life Of Oscar Levant
Robert Russ, compilation producer; Andreas K. Meyer & Rebekah Wineman, mastering engineers (Oscar Levant)
• Voices Of Mississippi: Artists And Musicians Documented By William Ferris
William Ferris, April Ledbetter & Steven Lance Ledbetter, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)

Ryan Bingham To Release ‘American Love Song’ in 2019. Hear the Song “Wolves.”

Southwestern spirit chaser Ryan Bingham will release his sixth studio album “American Love Song” on February 15th, 2019.

That will mark a four year stretch between his latest and the criminally overlooked “Fear and Saturday Night.” That’s a long time for fans, like me, to wait. Though there was a pretty sweet live album to hold me over.

Like Bingham’s last three albums “American Love Song” will be released on his own label, Axster Bingham Records. The album is co-produced by Austin music legend Charlie Sexton, fresh off his extraordinary portrayal of Townes Van Zandt in Ethan Hawke’s “Blaze.” The album was recorded at Austin’s Arlyn Studios and Public Hi-fi. Additional recording was done at Matter Music in Los Angeles.

Listen to Bingham play his ode to personal strength “Wolves” live on The Off Camera Show. (That glorious voice!) “Wolves” is available to download now with all pre-orders.

Pre-order “American Love Song” here.

Bingham is currently touring across America on a sold-out solo acoustic tour. He hits the road with a full band in March in Salt Lake City, UT. See full dates below.

Bingham has also announced his own curated music festival “The Western.” The festival looks like a winner right out of the gate featuring the Old 97s, Margo Price, Jamestown Revival, and Colter Wall already booked. The event will feature an exclusive “Campfire Jam,” highlighting an acoustic song-swap with Bingham and Price.

The festival will take place April 12th and 13th, 2019 at the storied outdoor venue Luckenbach, TX. Visit www.thewesternfestival.com for more information.

Ryan Bingham – “American Love Song” Tracklist:

1. Jingle and Go
2. Nothin Holds Me Down
3. Pontiac
4. Lover Girl
5. Beautiful and Kind
6. Situation Station
7. Got Damn Blues
8. Time for My Mind
9. What Would I’ve Become
10. Wolves
11. Blue
12. Hot House
13. Stones
14. America
15. Blues Lady

U.S Tour 2019 (Full Band)
March

19 – Salt Lake City, UT
21 – Phoenix, AZ
23 – San Diego, CA
24 – San Luis Obispo, CA
26 – Santa Cruz, CA
28 – Los Angeles, CA
29 – San Francisco, CA
30 – Petaluma, CA

April

2 – Denver, CO
3 – Lincoln, NE
4 – Springfield, IL
5 – Chicago, IL
6 – Minneapolis, MN
7 – Milwaukee, WI
9 – Kansas City, MO
12 – Luckenbach, TX – THE WESTERN
13 – Luckenbach, TX – THE WESTERN
16 – New Orleans, LA
17 – Atlanta, GA
19 – Philadelphia, PA
20 – Boston, MA
21 – Washington, DC
22 – Asbury Park, N
23 – Brooklyn, NY